
Lia Oren and Talia Schechet seed onions in the greenhouse at Adamah Farm in Falls Village, Conn., extending our region’s short growing season by producing seedlings ready to plant as the soil warms.
Janna Siller
Lia Oren and Talia Schechet seed onions in the greenhouse at Adamah Farm in Falls Village, Conn., extending our region’s short growing season by producing seedlings ready to plant as the soil warms.
FALLS VILLAGE, Conn. — Early spring on a New England produce farm is like watching a pot come to a boil -— flower buds adorning tree limbs swell ever so slightly each day; overwintered spinach leaves expand almost imperceptibly over the course of a week; fall-planted garlic cloves sprout small green shoots up through mulched beds.
No matter how intently you watch, the pot does eventually boil and spring does reliably arrive. Unlike a pot on a hot stove though, you can’t simply turn the dial to max when impatience gets the better of you, and the signs of progress often come in fits and starts rather than a steady increase.
Seeds won’t sprout in chilly soil. If you plant seedlings on a warm day, they won’t survive the cold one that follows. Farmers get to know the preferences of our crops well, and we look for signs that the ground is ready for each one’s unique needs — when dandelions bloom, it usually means the soil is warm enough to plant potatoes; pea seeds can go in when daffodils and forsythia are in full display; the warmer season crops will go in when there is not longer a single frost in sight on the forecast.
On warm sunny days, customers ask us whether we’re harvesting yet and I don’t blame them — there is so much vibrance in the seventy-degree spring air. But the season keeps whipping around to days of rain with temperatures hovering around freezing, and we all try to find solace in the few crocuses adapted to these fickle conditions. Growing produce in a climate as seasonal as ours requires farmers to stay poised like a cat leaning into its haunches — ready for the moment when spring really gains momentum.
At Adamah Farm in Falls Village, Conn., we’ve been heating a greenhouse since March to start seedlings. Having big, healthy transplants to put in the ground when the weather settles is an important season extension method. It is a bit like time travel to go in there and see pepper plants putting on leaves and tomato seeds sprouting. The endeavor of coaxing them through this season’s volatility has required an unwavering belief that the pot will, eventually, boil.
We germinate seeds on heat mats while days of gray skies prevent the passive solar warmth that otherwise makes a greenhouse so valuable. When the power went out on Johnson Road two weeks ago, the crew spent a very exciting hour shuttling plants from the greenhouse into an onsite building with a generator through a starless evening of sleet and high wind. When our CSA members, who sign up for regular boxes of produce this season, are grilling eggplant for a July barbecue with coleslaw and fresh herbs, it will be thanks to our winter crew who cared so doggedly for the young plants.
Members of the winter crew at Adamah Farm, Imogen Lubin, Miki Benson, and Denean Ritchie, enjoy some signs of resilience through this season’s volatile weather — a leek that managed to survive the winter and a six-leaf clover!Janna Siller
Farmers in our region are bringing this spirit of resilience and nimble adaptation in responding to a changing climate. Here at Adamah, that means watching with curiosity as our fields emerge from winter a bit differently than most springs after a milder than average winter — ponds that area residents have skated on for generations remained unfrozen and there were some balmy February days that had us all in t-shirts.
Records from Cornell University’s Northeast Regional Climate Center echo what we’ve been experiencing in real time — the region had a warmer than average winter again, with average temperatures ranging up to 8 degrees warmer depending on location.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently updated its “Hardiness Zone Map,” the guidance growers use to understand which plants are well adapted to their climate. Our region shifted one zone warmer, and we are seeing the effects on our vegetable fields here in Falls Village.
Every fall, we plant cover crops at Adamah — plants that regenerate the soil over winter. We plant some that are meant to survive the winter and keep growing in spring to hold the soil in place, build life-giving biomass in the soil, and provide habitat for beneficial organisms on the farm. Others are plants not adapted to survive sustained cold, so they contribute their benefits in the early winter and then die back and become mulch for spring crops. This winter, many of those cover crops that were meant to “winter-kill” survived, and we’ve been recalibrating our field plans to adapt.
Staying agile enough to work within the constraints and opportunities provided by the seasons is part of what keeps farming exciting year to year. Whether they are milking cows, planting trees, or growing salad greens, your local farmers generally could do with a few less curve balls than we’ve had of late.
To learn more about Adamah Farm or join the vegetable CSA, a subscription program for fresh, organic produce, go to fvcsa.adamah.org.
The Webutuck Little League is getting ready for its 2025 season, with games starting later in April. The annual Opening Day Picnic will be held on Sunday, April 27, at Beekman Park in Amenia from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch and snacks will be provided, along with bouncy rides. Players should come dressed in uniform for the Opening Day picture. If there are any questions please email WebutuckLittleLeague@gmail.com. Above, players exchange game-over handshakes following a game on May 4, 2024, at Eddie Collins Memorial Park in Millerton.
Helen Sung’s lyrical and virtuosic playing filled The Tall Barn at Troutbeck in Amenia.
Renowned pianist and composer Helen Sung took the stage for a rescheduled performance of Music Mountain’s Winter Concert Series at Troutbeck in Amenia on Sunday, March 30. Sung led the audience through a thrilling solo program that traced her journey from classical to jazz. Performing works by Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, and one of her own original compositions, Sung’s artistry and distinctive touch captivated listeners. She brought her dynamic interpretations and deep musical storytelling to each piece, seamlessly blending technical mastery with emotional depth. From the rich harmonies of Ellington to the angular brilliance of Monk, Sung’s performance showcased both reverence for jazz tradition and her own inventive spirit. The intimate setting of Troutbeck’s Tall Barn provided the perfect backdrop for an afternoon of inspired musicianship, leaving the audience mesmerized and eager for more.
Music Mountain’s 96th season opens on June 1 with a benefit concert and reception of Benjamin Hochman & Friends from the Met Opera playing Beethoven and Brahms.
More info at musicmountain.org
Tallow, a new restaurant, will be located in the former McDonald’s site on Route 44 in Millerton.
MILLERTON — A new restaurant was granted site approval by the Town of North East Planning Board on Wednesday, March 27.
Austin Cornell, a co-founder of the new eatery, has been before the Board, detailing plans for the restaurant, which will be located at the site of the former McDonald’s on Route 44.
The site has been vacant for more than eight years.
At Planning Board meetings, Tallow has fielded questions from members that ranged from sewage arrangements to soffit lighting intensity, as well as lighting and landscaping treatments.
On Wednesday, after submitting a final set of site plans and answering questions about signage light, dimmers, parking-lot lighting and tree-island width, Cornell’s application was unanimously approved.
“Please come,” he said to the Board. “We’re having an opening on April 26.”
Grocery application
A public hearing that commenced on March 19 for an application to develop a supermarket in an existing site in the Millerton Square Plaza was reopened.
Ray Nelson, of Earthwise Architecture in Millerton, who represents Kim and Chris Choe, owners of the Sharon Farm Market, informed Planning Board members that the printouts of updated site plans that he planned to present to the panel were still coming out of his printer.
Nelson briefed Board members on the changes to the site plan that were incorporated following the last presentation, including sign-lighting details.
The new market will offer meat and produce, a deli, a bakery and outside dining and an EV charger.
Chair Dale Culver noted that the Board couldn’t take any action without a final, printed site plan. The public hearing was closed, and Nelson agreed to return — possibly later in the evening — if the printed output was ready.
Otherwise, he would await the next meeting of the Planning Board on April 9.
Nelson didn’t return before the meeting was adjourned.
Public hearing
Rob Cooper, president of Associated Lightning Rod Company Inc., appeared before the Planning Board with an application for a minor subdivision and lot-line adjustment for property at 6020-6024 and 6044 Route 22.
Cooper plans to erect two commercial buildings on the land.
A public hearing was held, yielding no comment, and the Board unanimously approved the application with little discussion.
Cell tower discussion
Sandra Oberhollenzer, of White House Crossing Road in North East, spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting about a planned 150-foot cellphone tower to be located on the east side of Route 22 just north of the intersection with Cattalino Road in Ancram.
Oberhollenzer said she understood that the project is outside the confines of North East, but noted that the tower, in Ancram’s Scenic Corridor Overlay Zone, is expected to be visible by North East residents.
Oberhollenzer commented on what she described as a lack of need assessment, issues related to the coverage map and a lack of a technology assessment.
A balloon test to provide visibility data has been postponed more than once due to adverse weather conditions.
The Planning Board thanked Oberhollenzer for her comments.
AMENIA — The nonprofit Hudson River Housing Inc. described amendments to their plans for the Cascade Creek subdivision at the regular meeting of the Planning Board on Wednesday, March 26.
The company is continuing to gather input and develop the conservation plan for the subdivision.
Planning Board engineer John Andrews clarified the parcel’s acreage, indicating a final determination of 24.13 acres.
Senior Planner Peter Sander of Rennia Engineering reviewed changes to the parcel plans in response to comments from residents. Preliminary sketched lot lines have been moved to avoid the existing stream corridor, Sander said.
Traffic concerns voiced by residents led to eliminating a planned subdivision entrance on Cascade Road, instead envisioning two entrances along Route 22. Also added is a community garden feature within the stream corridor.
Andrews noted that town code allows common utilities within a conservation easement such as water and sewer so long as they do not impose on the conservation area’s intent.
“This represents a positive step forward,” Andrews said of the amended conservation plan.
Board member James Walsh asked about the firmness of the plan for 28 single family homes.
“To accomplish affordable housing, you need that number to make it financially viable,” replied Mary Linge, Hudson River Housing vice president for Real Estate Development.